


Hound

by Savorybreakfasts



Series: Tumblr prompts and ficlets [2]
Category: Star Trek: Deep Space Nine
Genre: Fluff, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-06
Updated: 2018-04-06
Packaged: 2019-04-19 06:30:29
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 378
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14231346
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Savorybreakfasts/pseuds/Savorybreakfasts





	Hound

**Author's Note:**

  * For [boldlygowherenodoghasgonebefore](https://archiveofourown.org/users/boldlygowherenodoghasgonebefore/gifts).



“Kelas, what is that?”

“Exactly what it looks like. A miniature riding hound.”

The sad-eyed animal snuffling by Kelas’ knee, did, in fact, resemble the beast five year old Elim had tried so hard to dominate, before Tain decided there was no point including his bastard in his Lord of the Manor fantasies.

“Why?”

Kelas sighed heavily. “Nostalgia? A representation of Old Cardassia for a generation too young to have known it and therefore able to find it quaint? A way to pretend one comes from an old family with stables, without the stables? I don’t quite know, Elim, just that they’re everywhere now.”

“How?”

“Oh, modifying their DNA to miniaturize them was easy enough. Now they’re being sold in the river park.”

“Well. I’ll get the District to put a stop to that.” The hound pushed against his hand, and Garak reluctantly patted his head. It felt good. “But why is he here?”

“Like with any fad, people overestimated the demand and the chance to make profit.”

“Profit. Good Gods I was so concerned about us becoming a Federation outpost I didn’t think to worry that our own people would turn Ferengi.”

Kelas responded with a wry smile. “Indeed. And now Kardass’ior is quite overrun, and people are bringing their unwanted hounds to the clinic, as if we’ll be able to provide for them.”

Elim knelt by the hound. He was a dappled brown, with large, sad eyes, and a stocky build like the beast of burden he was meant to be, though who could ever ride him? A ridiculous image of Julian Bashir’s teddy bear on his back flashed through Elim’s mind and he smiled. He looked up at Kelas. “Yes.”

“Yes?”

“Yes, we can keep him.”

Kelas joined Elim on the ground. The hound, seeming to know his fate had been decided, flopped down in front of them and stretched its spine. Both men obligingly scratched and petted him. Kelas snuck a glance at his partner, who was fully engaged in a sotto voice monologue to the hound, full of promises of a warm home and good meals and the chance to run to his heart’s content.

Kelas Parmak would make sure all of those promises, and the ones left unspoken between them, were realized.


End file.
